Mail-bag-transferring apparatus.



.8. L. INGALLS.

MAIL BAG TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

APPucATloN man res. 1s. |916.

1,204,985. v Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

3 SHEElS-SHEET 2.

I @gw 60% v www S. L. INGALLS.

MAIL BAG TRANSFE-RRING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION msu FEB.16. 1916,

y Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

SUMNE L. INGALLS, OF OLDTOWN, MAINE.

MAIL-BAG-'IRANSFERRIN G APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd NOV. 14, 1916.

Application filed February 16, 191,6. Serial No. 78,702.

To all fro/wm t may conce/m.'

Be it known that I, SUMNER L. INGALLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oldtown, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag-Transferring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

lThis invention is an improved mailbag transferring apparatus for simultaneously transferring a mail bag from a moving train -to a station and from the station to the train,

'the object of the invention being to provide improved apparatus of this kind which is simple in construction, is automatic in operation, may be readily arranged for operation, is not likely to get out of order, and which does not injure vthe mail or the bags containing the mail.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combination, and arrangement.

of devices, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail bag transferring apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views respectively onV the planes indicated bythe lines 3-3 and 4 4 of Fig. 2.

At each station where mail is to be transferred, I provide a frame 1 which is preferably V -shaped as here shown, comprising upwardly converging' apparatus 2 and a'connecting cross bar 3. Preferably the frame will be made of steel or iron but it may be constructed of any suitable material. The frame inclines outwardly and upwardly toward the railway track Ll and in practice is provided with a suitable guy 5, (one or more). A swinging' bar 6 normally hangs vertically and has its upper end loosely pivotally connected to the upper end of the frame 1 as at 7. The swinging bar is pro vided at its lower end with oppositely extending arms 8 which curve outwardly to ward the track and each of which is pro-Y vided at its outer end with a hook 9, the bill or bob of which is elevated and is inclined toward the swinging bar. The said bar is also provided, at a suitable distance from its lower end, with a bracket 10 which has op` positely extending arms 11 which also curve outwardly toward the track.

The mail car 12, which has a door 13 in one side, 1s provided with a platform 14 which is arranged inthe door way and on` the car floor and may be pivoted at either end by a pivot 15, the said platform and the car floor being provided with openings 16 for the reception of the pivot and hence the platform may be arranged so that either end thereof may be swung outwardly from the car according to the direction in which the car is moving.

The platform has a vertical rear wall 17 at the upper end and at the center of which is a bracket 18 which is substantially T- shaped in plan, extends outwardly so as to overhang the platform and is provided with oppositely extending arms 19. To limit the pivotal movement of the platform, the same is provided with stop arms 20 which are secured on the rear side of the wall 17, project inwardly, and also beyond the ends of said wall and are adapted to engage the sides of the door way.

The car is also provided with a pair of bag catching` arms 21 which are pivotally mounted as at 22 at opposite sides of the door way and at a suitable height from the 'car floor and each of thev said arms has an operating lever 23 which extends inwardly therefrom into the car, the said levers enabling the operator in the car to swing either of the bag catching arms outwardly from the car as far as may be necessary to cause the said arm to catch and take a bag or bags from one of the arms 11 of the swinging bar 6 as the car passes the station.

I also provide carrier rings 24 for use in connection with my mail bag transferring apparatus, each ofthe said rings being provided on one side with a horizontal substantially U-shaped arm 25 which may be slidably engaged with either of the arms 11, 19.

A mail bag to be transferred from the station to the car will be strapped to one of said rings and the latter hung, by its arm 25, from the arm 11 which extends in the direction in which the train is moving. A mail bag to be transferred from the car to the station will be strapped to a similar ring, arranged on the platform, and the ring by its arm 25, will be slidably arranged on the arm 19 which extends in the direction in which the train is `moving, the platform being arranged on its pivot so as to project the said arm 19 outwardly from the car. Thearms 11 are considerably higher than thebag catching arms 21. The arms 8 are substantially level with the arms 19.

The attendant at the station, by means of a brace 26 will arrange the swinging bar 6 in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 2, with its lower end nearer the vertical plane of the track than its upper end, the said brace being loosely pivotally connected at its inner end to the cross bar 3 as at 27 and having its outer end'provided on opposite sides with notches 28 either of which may be engaged by the swinging bar.

As the car passes the station, the ring 24 of the mail bag on the platform 14 will be engaged by one of the arms 8 and at the same instant the ring of the mail bag hanging from one of the arms 11 will be engaged by the appropriate arm 21 which has been extended out from the car and hence at the same instant, one bag will be transferred from the kcar to the station and the other from the station to the car, and as this transfer is effected, the shock and movement imparted to the swinging bar will disconnect the brace 26 from said swinging bar, the brace will drop out f the way, and said bar will swing kback and forth and return to its initial vertical position. The bag which hangs from the arm 8 may then be readily taken off.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred form of my invention, I would have it understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion, and construction of the several parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. In mail bag transferring apparatus of the class described, a car-carried platform and a bracket on said platform having an arm overhanging and arranged longitudinally on the platform, and a mail bag securing-ring having a slotted arm for sliding engagement with the arm of said bracket.

2. In mail bag transferring apparatus of the class described, a car-carried platform yand a bracket on said platform having an arm overhanging and arranged longitudinally on the platform, and a mail bag securing ring having a slotted arm for sliding engagement with the arm of said bracket, said platform being mounted for movement on the car so that it may be extended outwardly 0r drawn inwardly therefrom.

3. In mail bag transferring apparatus of the class described, a car-carried platform and a bracket on said platform having an arm overhanging and arranged longitudinally on the platform, a mail bag securingring having a slotted arm for sliding engagement with the arm of said bracket, and a brace to incline the swinging bar in one direction and release said bar when its hook arm engages said ring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SUMNER L. INGALLS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. PREBLE, F. L. WEYMOUTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

